>>> "As a .NET programmer most of my time is spent coding in C# and I try to avoid writing SQL where possible"

Exactly why so many applications are so poorly designed.

>>> "why is it so complicated to write a loop without turning the database upside down? "

As xlar54 stated... if you are thinking this, you really need to rethink your priorities, and go learn about all the links in the chain before developing another application that is brutally designed because of your ignorance of an important component of most applications.

What an utterly appalling 'standard', I wonder what it cost in total for Microsoft to "Buy" this faux-mantle...